Georgia Tatam

There were two main things that stood out for me when applying to study Geography at the University of Leeds. The first was the Industrial placement scheme and the second was the ability to be able to study the human aspects of geography, without also having to study the physical. At the time I did not realise that the school of Geography has a designated second-year module in collaboration with the careers centre to help you secure a placement, however, this module proved to be priceless. It taught us about the application processes and what makes a candidate stand out. As well as this it set up a mock interview and assessment centres, to ensure each student is fully prepared when applying for jobs.

The opportunity to take a year in industry has proved to be invaluable to me. With many people struggling for graduate jobs, I have been fortunate enough to gain first-hand experience in the workplace with a placement at IBM. Consequently, this has provided me with an advantage when securing a job after I graduate. During my placement year, I have developed many skills which I can take with me throughout my career, hopefully putting me in better stead for the final year also. The Geography department, answering any concerns and even coming to visit the workplace.